


Inch By Inch, We Crawled Toward Each Other

by Chatter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-10 03:39:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11683245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chatter/pseuds/Chatter
Summary: "And what, pray tell, did you think meeting your soulmate would be like?" Her grandmother had scolded her. "Did you think you would meet eyes and the world would stop? Your heart would finally begin to beat? No, you meet eyes and smile politely. You ask for a name and get dinner. Life continues even as the stars cross."Fleur meets her soulmate and makes a simple decision.





	Inch By Inch, We Crawled Toward Each Other

The air was loud with noise, bustling with the same energy that Fleur found jerked from her body. Her sister zipped between her classmates energetically, asking questions but zipping away before she could get an answer. Just watching her made Fleur conscious of how tired she had suddenly become. The giant castle of Hogwarts, which she had been dreaming of since summer, loomed down dismally. It looked more like an old dungeon than it did a school.

Her head was pounding, and she became hyper aware of every detail before her: the texture of the gray bricks, the sharp, cold air, and the crowd of students staring wide-eyed from windows and gathered along the courtyard.

All of which managed to creep under her skin and squirm until she wanted to scream. Her eyes flickered between the castle, her classmates, and the many Hogwarts students before catching the eye of a girl in red. Her hair was bushy, windswept from standing outside, and the falling snow dotted it softly. She held Fleur’s gaze for a moment, offering a smile before walking away, a shimmer trailing behind.

Fleur opened her mouth to call out, eyes wide in realization.

" _Come,_ " Madame Maxine boomed in French. “We have much to see.”

Clasping Gabrielle’s hand subconsciously, she allowed herself to be lead away. 

***

It wasn’t until dinner that Fleur saw her again, the same distorted shimmer obscuring her form. Cho Chang, who looked up when Fleur stopped speaking mid-sentence, nudged her shoulder.

“That’s Hermione Granger, she’s in Gryffindor.” 

Fleur forced her gaze to return, embarrassed. 

Cho shook her head understandingly, nodding at the boys next to her. “Those are her friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.”

Fleur smiled, finishing her comment on how different the two schools were, and settled into a comfortable conversation as Cho described the mischief the three Gryffindors found themselves in each year.

Fleur turned her eyes back to the girl. _Hermione,_ she corrected, and stared as her hand flickered before her. She scowled at something someone said, reaching for her goblet, unaware that her hand was a blur before her.

A look of understanding crossed Cho’s face. She put her hand atop Luna’s and squeezed.

“Say,” she said. “We’re out of bouillabaisse. Would you mind getting some from Gryffindor?”

“No,” she heard herself say faintly. “I don’t mind.”

Taking a breath, she put on her best champion face, and strode to the Gryffindor table with as much confidence as she could despite how ridiculous she felt.

“Excuse me,” she said. “Are you done with the bouillabaisse?”

A cloud of silence passed the group until Hermione sighed exasperatedly.

“Here you are.” She held up the bowl of soup with a roll of her eye. _Boys,_ she seemed to be saying.

 _Boys, indeed,_ Fleur agreed as the stares jabbing at her increased in number.

She took the soup with a smile. “ _Merci,_ that is very kind.”

“ _Although,_ ” she continued, turning to Hermione playfully. “I believe you have something that belongs to me?”

Leaning forward, she grasped the shimmering hand gently, bringing it to her lips.

The distortion was stolen from Hermione, who blinked rapidly. A whisper passed through her and into Fleur.

Her shoulders relaxed as her thrall returned. Warmth filled her immediately, the energy she found jerked from her body the moment she stepped out of the carriage reentering her system. A hand clutched her heart, squeezing with every beat beat beat.

 _She’s the one,_ it lub-dubbed. 

She’s the one.

Fleur let go of her hand and inclined her head.

“Thank you.” She turned around with her heart racing.

“Wait,” Hermione spluttered. “What was that?”

The soup sloshed around in its bowl. Her body hummed, and she felt naked despite the thrall covering her body.

She smiled through the churning in her stomach and called back airily.

“A secret.”

Hermione’s eyebrows rose as they locked eyes. Fleur had issued a challenge, and Hermione, from what Cho had told her, did not back down.

They may be soul mates, Fleur decided, but that didn’t mean they had to fall into each other’s arms.

Love, she decided, would take them slowly.

**Author's Note:**

> If you're wondering if the background ChoLuna was intentional, yes. Yes, it was. Also, if there's any confusion on the concept I was using for Fleur's thrall, feel free to leave a comment and I'll be happy to explain! I hope you enjoyed reading this!


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